Prior to Banting and his partner’s discovery of insulin in 1922 for therapeutic use, a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis was a death sentence. Since then, millions of lives have been saved and continue to be saved every day thanks to Sir Frederick Banting and his team.

The digital birthday party was hosted by Beyond Type 1 on BantingsBirthday.org and across all of their social media platforms, reaching over a million followers. Party guests and Banting fans were able to sign his digital birthday card, receive free party favors, and read stories about the Nobel Prize winner. The community was also invited to make a $1 gift in honor of the sales price of the original patent, emphasizing Banting’s belief that insulin belonged to the world.

Partner organizations Dexcom, KNOW Foods, Myabetic, Genteel, and SportsTagID also announced gifts to the T1D community in honor of Banting’s 126th birthday. For more information on Sir Frederick Banting, on the celebration, or on how to donate, visit BantingsBirthday.org.

Beyond Type 1 also hosted a private (in-person) screening of BikeBeyond – TheDocumentary in Los Angeles. The film follows a team of 20 individuals living with Type 1 diabetes, who came together in June 2017 with a shared goal to ride across the country from New York to San Francisco. The film, narrated by Victor Garber and featuring Nick Jonas, chronicles the 10-week journey of Team Bike Beyond and highlights the emotional, social and physical highs and lows, and their impact upon communities along the route and across social media. It was a ride many viewed as impossible, but they rode and their adventure changed their lives and the lives of others forever. For more information on the screening, visit beyondtype1.org/documentary.